I’m guessing downvotes because the counter-example comparatively isn’t that “crazy”. Bear with me here, especially if you don’t recall the details. Every participant was affected by conditions in 1904, by dusty roads if nothing else. Whereas in 2013 I had crossed the finish line hours before and was taking a nap when the bomb went off, and the top finishers had already finished well before me. That’s not to diminish the damage for those affected in 2013, but there is an argument to be made that the 2013 crazy didn’t start until the race was effectively over. I mean, if we’re going to argue with the title, running a marathon (as the title says) in the Boston area on the 2nd Monday of April 2013 was fine for me, the crazy started afterward. 1904 sounded crazy from the start.

That, and contrarianism for the sake of it.

Because it is not a counter example. The “crazy” is the decisions made by the race organizers and participants. The Boston bombing was very tragic but not crazy.